Controlling system for electric motors.



B. G. LAMME. v GQN'I'ROLLING SYSTEM FOR ELEGTRIC MOTORS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 24, 1908, v

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

WITNESSES a erase rerun UTFLFECE.

BENJAMIN G. LAMME, OF PITTSBURG, PIJXNSYJJVANU, A SSIGNORTO WESTINGHOUSE ELEC- TRIO & MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

' Original application filed December 4, 1905, Serial No. 290,122. Divided. and this application filed. February 2a, 1908.

Serial No.

direct or alternating currents, and to systems of control therefor.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means whereby the occurrence of 'QXCGSSIVG induced voltages in the motor cir- .ouits, upon lnterruption thereof, may beef fec-tually prevented.

It. is well known to those skilled in the art that, upon the interruption of the circuit of an electric motor, a very high. induced voltage often exists momentarily in the circuit as a result of the sudden reduction in. the

magnetism of the field, and oftentimes this is su licient to cause a disruptive discharge through the insulation, after which serious injury may occur to the motor when it is again connected to the supply circuit. The induced voltage is directly proportional to the rapidity with which the circuit is interrupted,

the total change in the magnetic flux and the total number of turns through which this.

flux-changes. If one or more closed circuit conducting paths surround the magnetic circuit, the dillerence of potential will be reduced, because such paths serve as secondary circuits and retard the rate of change of the magnetic In motors of ordinary construction, the above-mentioned closed circuits may be provided by the solid material of the field magnet poles or yoke or by the devices which secure the iield magnet windlugs upon the polar projections, or they may loo-provided by the armature coil'or coils, the terminals of which are connected together at theinstant of commutation. The e'llcctiva ness of'this latter path as a secondary circuit for. retarding the ratc of change ol the flux,

usually depends upon the resistance of' the brushes and the character and extent of the contact which they make with the commutater cylhnler.

In motors of the commutator type that are adapted to be operated by alternating currents, low resistance closed circuit paths are avoided far as possible, because the entire magnetic llux. c. anges at'a very rapid rate. \Vhilc these motors are usually provid ed with 1 ield magnet windings having only a very few turns, in order that the ratio of lield ampere turns to armature ampere turns ma be low, and while they are so designed in other respects as to have but relatively low.total induction, still the momentary rise in the voltage upon suddenly interrupting the circuitsmay amount to two or more t-imes tho normal voltage. The rise in voltage upon interrupting the circuit of a single motonmay not cause injury thereto, but it the motors are connected in series and the circuit is interrupted only at the terminals of the series, the rise in voltage may be excessive and cause a disruptive discharge tooccur through the insul atiou ol the circuit. The alternating voltage upon which these motors are adapted to operate best is low compared with that which usually occurs upon the distributing circuit. When the motors are operated by alternating currents, they are usually '80 connected in parallel and the high voltage of the distributing circuit is changed to the low voltage required by the motors by means ol transformers; but when they are operated by direct currents, they are generally connccted. in scrics to receive the lull voltagcol the distributing circuit, because of the impracticability of reducing such voltage. Itlollows, therefore, as hercinbeforc stated, that under these conditions it is very dcsirable. to employ some means for reducing the voltage which is induced upon interru 'ition of the circuit.

Il igure'l ol' the accompanying drawings illustrates, diagrammatically, a system ol control embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a view, in cud elevation, 01' a motorconstructed in accordruicc with my invention. The circuit relations ol' a pair of motors 1 and 2 may be adjusted by means ol a changeover switch 3, the conducting segments 4 and 5 of which. engage contact terminals (5, 7, S and 9 when the motors are operated by direct currents and the conducting segments 10 and 11 of which engage contact terminals 12,

6, 7, S and 9 when the motors are opcratmlby alternating currents, the motors being connected in series relation in the l'ormcrcase 35 indicated b and in parallel relation in the latter. The in the windings 14 will traverse the closed motors 1 and '2 are provided with auxiliary windings 14 that are preferably placed upon the field magnet polar projections 15 beside the main exciting coils 16, as indicated in Fig. 2. The circuits of the motors may be further adjusted by means of a controller 17 comprising a plurality of stationary contact fingers 18 to 26, inclusive, and conducting segments 27 28 and 29 that may be moved into engagement therewith. The segment 27 when moved through the positions indicated by the broken lines a, b, c andd, serves to connect the motors between a trolley conductor 30 and a track rail 31 supplied with direct current energy from any suitable source, such as that shown at 32, and also to vary the amount of a resistance 33 included in circuit with the motors. When the conductin segments 28' and 29 are moved throug the positions indicated by the broken lines e, f and g,'a transformer 34, supplied with alternating currents from any suitable source, such as that shown at 36, is

i connected between a trolley conductor 35 and the track rail 31, and one terminal of the motor is connected to one or another of leads 37, 38 and 39 from the transformer 34, whereby the voltage applied to the motor 30 circuits may be'varied.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing descri tion that when it is desired .to operate by irect currents, the change-over switch 3 will first. be moved to the position the broken line D-C and then the control er 17 will be moved to the position a, a circuit being thereby established from trolley conductor 30, through conducting segment 27, resistance 33, motor 1, con- 40 ducting segment 4 and motor 2, to the track rail 31, the motors being then connected in series. The resistance 33 may then be removed gradually from the circuits of the motors by moving the conducting segment 27 through the succeeding positions. Upon returning the controller 17 to its off osition, a high induced voltage in the circuits of the motors'l aznd 2 is prevented because the auxiliary windings 14 are connected to form a secondary closed circuit which retards the rate of change of the magnetic flux. The arrangements of the circuits, when operating by alternating currents, will be readily understood from the foregoing description and an ins ection of the drawing.

he auxiliary field magnet windings 14 .of motors 1 and 2 are connected permanentl in a closed circuit, the change-over switcli 3 serving to adjust the circuit relations of the motors 1n such a manner that, upon disconnecting them from the direct cu'rrent su ply circuit, the currents induced in the win ings 14 will traverse the closed circuit in the same direction, and so that, when operated by alternating currents, the induced currents circuit in opposite directions. When the mo tors are operated by direct currents, the contact segments 4 and 5 of the change-over switch engage the corresponding contact fingers and the circuit thus established includes the motor 1, the conducting segment 5, the motor 2 and the conducting se ment 4. The induced electromotive forces in the windings 14 are then added and the currents traverse the closed circuit in the same direction. When the motors are operated by alternating currents, the fingers engage the contact segments 10 and 11 and the circuit includes the conducting segment 10, the motors 1 and 2 in parallel relation and conducting segment 11,

it being observed that thecurrent first-traverses field magnet winding 16 of the motor 1 and then its armature 41, while it traverses the armature 42 of the motor 2 before traversing its field magnet winding 16. The induced electromotiye forces in the auxiliary windings 14 will their 0 pose each other and the closed circuit, there ore, becomes ineffective as a secondary circuit when the motors are operated by alternating currents.

It will be understood from what has been shown and described that the field magnet polar projections of a single motor may be provided with auxiliary windings or that more than two motors may be employed, the "auxiliary field magnet windings of which may be connected in pairs or groups in closed-circuit in a manner similar to that shown in Fi 2.

T claim as my invention:

1. The combination-with a source of direct currents, a source of alternatin currents, a plurality of electric motors a apted to be operated by either character of energy and provided with auxiliary field magnet windings connected in closed circuit, of means for arranging the circuit relations of the motors in accordance with the character of energy supplied thereto and so that in duced currents in the respective auxiliary field magnet windings may traverse the closed circuitin the same direction when 0 crating by direct currents and in opposite irections when operating by alternating currents.

2. The combination with a source of direct currents, a source of alternating currents, a plurality of electric motors a apted to be operated'by either character of energy and provided with auxiliary field magnet windln s connected in closed circuit, of means or so connectin .the motors in series relation when 0 erated by direct currents and in parallel re ation when operated by alternating currents that the induced elect-romotive forces in the .respective auxiliary field magnet windings may be added in the first case and may oppose each other in the second case.

' 3. The combination with a source of diings may traverse the closed circuit in the rect currents,'a source of alternating curl same direction for direct current operation rents, a plurality of electric motors adapted l and in opposite directions for alternating to be operated by either character of energy current operation.

In testimony whereof, I. have hereunto windings connected in closed circuit, of subscribed my name this 21st day ol Februmeans for s0 connecting the motors in series ary, 1908.

and provided with auxiliary field magnet i l l relation when operated by direct currents BENJ. G. LAMAHC. and in parallel relation when operated by alternating currents that the-induced currents in the respective auxiliary fieldinagnet wind- Nitnesscs ELIZABETH LIVINGSTONE, BIRNEY MINES. 

